Isra & Mi’raj | From Mawlid al-Barzanji

English

The Miraculous Night Journey and Ascesion to the Highest Heaven and BeyondWhen, while awake, he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was taken on a night journey, with his spirit (rūĥ) and body, from the Mosque of the Ĥarām (in Makkah) to the Mosque of al-Aqsā (in Jerusalem) and its sacred precinct He was taken up to the heavens.

In the first heaven he saw Ādam, dignity enveloping and exalting him
In the second heaven, he saw ‘Isa ibn al-Batūl (Jesus son of the Virgin Mary, who isolated herself in devotion to Allah), the Good the Pure And his cousin, Yaĥya, who was given wisdom in application of the Torah (and prophethood) in his youth
In the third heaven, he saw Yūsuf, the Şiddīq, with his beautiful form
In the fourth heaven, Idrīs (named for his extensive study of Allah’s book), whom Allah raised to his high place
In the fifth heaven, Hārūn, the beloved of the Israelite nation
In the sixth heaven, Mūsā, to whom Allah talked intimately
And in the seventh heaven, Ibrāhīm, who came to his Lord with a heart at peace and an inwardness of goodness Whom Allah protected from the fire of Nimrod

Then he raised him to Sidrat al-Muntahā until he heard the sound of the pens writing the decreed matters To the station (maqam) of the encounter without veil in which Allah allowed him to approach and draw near There Allah raised for him (Allah bless him and grant him peace) the veils of the glorious lights And let him see with his own eyes in the presence of Lordship what He let him see So He spread for him the carpet of care and affection in the divine presence

He made obligatory upon him and his nation fifty prayers Then the clouds of virtue and mercy poured forth and they were reduced to the performance of five prayers Having the reward of the fifty that He had decreed and willed in pre-endless time

Then he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) returned in the same night and the Şiddīq believed him (when he had told others) about his night journey As do all who possess intellect and the capacity to reflect While the Quraysh didn’t believe him and some apostated whom the Shayţān led astray and lured

O Allah, scent his noble grave with an aromatic fragrance of blessings and peace